‘“What’s to-day!” cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.

‘“EH?” returned the boy, with all his might of wonder.

‘“What’s to-day, my fine fellow?” said Scrooge.

‘“To-day!” replied the boy. ‘“Why, CHRISTMAS DAY.”

‘“It’s Christmas Day!” said Scrooge to himself. ‘“I haven’t missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. Hallo, my fine fellow!”’

You Haven’t Missed It

That’s right. You haven’t missed it. Fortunately, it’s still Christmas Eve. So you have plenty of time left to celebrate the good cheer.

So on this special day of redemption and reconciliation, we’ll pause from our usual musing on the economy and financial markets to leave you with a little more of this immortal scene from the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol…

Scrooge Was Better Than His Word

“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.

“Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

“He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!”